Behind the
Scenes: Dangerous Indenture (A Historical Mystery-Romance)
by Kelli
A. Wilkins
This
“Behind the Scenes” blog is part of a series examining my romance novels. In
each blog, I’ll talk about why I wrote the book, share my thoughts on the plot
and/or characters, and reveal what I loved most (or least) about writing the
book. Warning: Blogs may contain spoilers.
Hi everyone,
Imagine
this scenario: a young woman moves to a new town to work for a family. She is
on her own and has to adjust to her employer’s rules while adapting to life in
a new environment. After she arrives, she discovers the job isn’t exactly what
she thought it would be and realizes she has gotten herself into a troubling situation.
All seems lost until she meets a handsome young man…
This
premise could be the basis of any number of romances: a Victorian-era story
about a governess moving to a remote estate, a contemporary tale about a physical
therapist or teacher relocating across the country, or, in the case of my
historical romance, Dangerous Indenture, an Irish indentured servant leaving
everything behind to start a new life.
Dangerous
Indenture is set in Pennsylvania Colony and blends a sensual romance with
mystery and suspense. Right from the start, readers (and the heroine, Shauna)
are warned about Stewart House: “It’s got more haunts than the Tower of
London.”
Here’s the
book summary and links:
DANGEROUS
INDENTURE
Indentured
for five years… how long can Shauna resist her master’s son?
Desperate
to escape her past in Ireland, Shauna Farrow signs on to become an indentured
servant to Joshua Stewart, a wealthy man in Pennsylvania Colony. But a life of
servitude quickly turns to drudgery, and Shauna’s hopes for starting over and
creating a better life for herself are waning—until she meets her master’s
roguish son, Ashton.
Ashton
needs to redeem himself in his father’s eyes and earn the respect he has always
longed for. Meeting Shauna turns his life around, and he sets out to win her
heart. Torn between propriety and passion, Shauna struggles against her growing
attraction to Ashton as long as she can.
But amidst
their flirting, something dark stirs. Shauna soon discovers why no other
servants wanted to work for the strange Stewart family.
Stewart
House has an unsavory reputation: a previous servant died there under
mysterious circumstances. When another servant goes missing in the middle of
the night, Shauna is convinced that a member of the family is responsible.
Shauna’s investigation leads her close to the truth, and yet, she’s not sure who she can trust. Events take a deadly turn when she confronts the murderer and discovers the mystery of the Stewart family.
Will Shauna be rescued before time runs out, or will she meet with the same fate as the other servants?
Available
Here:
Amazon:
All other
platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3JyROP
***
When I
wrote the book, I wanted to evoke a sense of danger and mystery around every
corner. This wasn’t going to be a typical romance with the hero and heroine
from different classes falling in love and having a forbidden affair. Nope.
The
romance is almost a sub-plot of the book, and when the story begins, finding
love is the last thing on Shauna’s mind. She’s more concerned about doing a
good job than getting involved with Ashton (even if he is handsome).
I liked
creating the incredibly dysfunctional members of the Stewart family. They all
have secrets and practically have dual personalities. Joshua (the patriarch) is
a big bear of a man who comes across as gruff and insensitive, yet at times can
be caring. Colin (Joshua’s son) appears to be a respectable married
businessman, but underneath his proper exterior lurks a dark and dangerous
manipulator (among other things).
Colin’s
beleaguered wife, Minerva, is mentally unstable and trapped in a terrible
marriage. Readers and the other characters in the story aren’t sure if she’s
truly mad or not. And she might be a murderess…
Our hero,
Ashton Bailey, is flawed and has a lot of problems to overcome. For starters,
he’s the black sheep of the family and has been sent home in disgrace. He
drinks too much, womanizes too much, and has nearly given up on life. He’s a
failure in his father’s eyes and wants to redeem himself, but isn’t sure how.
Ashton knows that Stewart House is a terrible place and vows to protect Shauna
while she’s working there.
This cast
of characters and their interactions (fighting, name-calling, secrets, and lies)
carry the plot. Everyone has an agenda, and readers learn that not everyone is
telling the truth… or is exactly what they seem. Ashton wants to become
respectable, Colin wants him disowned, Minerva wants Shauna gone, Shauna wants
to stay out of trouble, and Joshua just wants some peace.
Writing
the twists and turns of the mystery was a lot of fun. When the new servant,
Lila, goes missing in the middle of the night, Shauna is convinced someone in
the house killed her. But who? Shauna is a clever amateur sleuth, and when she starts
to solve the mystery, she realizes that she’s in danger.
The book
has a “Dark Shadows” feel to it. A mysterious house, a strange family, everyone
has secrets… In fact, several of the character names in the book (Colin,
Joshua, and Minerva) appeared in the original “Dark Shadows” series.
Like many
of my historical heroines, Shauna is ahead of her time. She’s intelligent,
independent, has a strong sense of self, and is not afraid to start a new life
on her own. But she wasn’t always this way.
The original
version of the book was 120,000 words (more of a mini-series than a novel), and
very different. The plot was drawn-out and had several backstories. Shauna was a
virgin, less self-confident, and suffered harsh treatment at the hands of
Joshua Stewart.
Ashton had
even more emotional baggage and bad habits, and I explored his difficult relationship
with Joshua. I even wrote a long backstory about Ashton’s mother, her paintings,
and the garden.
I’m happy
to say I changed all that. Major cutting, revising, and rewriting tightened the
story and made it a much better book. Readers loved it, too. Here are a few
kind words:
“5 stars!
This novel will keep you riveted from start to finish! I was hooked from page
one and did not put it down until I finished it. I cannot say enough wonderful
things about this novel. If you love romance with mystery then pick up a copy
of this one today and get lost in the story. I certainly did. It’s perfectly
written to keep you turning page after page, and I promise, you won’t be able
to guess the ending! If you’re looking for a great romance story with a whole
lot of action, drama, and mystery then this is your book!!! Definitely a MUST
READ!” - April P., Reviewer, My Book Addiction & More
“Combining
mystery with romance, this novel keeps the pages turning. Shauna and Ashton are
well-developed characters readers can root for. Overall, a great beach read.” -
Emily Thompson, SUNY-Oswego, Library Journal
“Kelli A.
Wilkins delivers a colonial-era mystery that will appeal to mystery and romance
readers alike.” - Lisa Marie Wilkinson, author.
"4
stars! This book was a thrill a minute! No leisurely stroll through the gardens
in this romance, but non-stop danger and drama. A flawed hero and heroine fight
for their lives and their relationship to get to their HEA." - Paula,
Amazon Reviewer
I can’t
add anything to that! I hope you enjoyed this look at the making of Dangerous
Indenture. I welcome comments and questions from readers. Be sure to follow my
blog for the latest updates and visit me on social media. I also made a
Facebook page for my historical romances: https://www.facebook.com/Historical-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1703805359922371/
Happy
Reading,
Kelli A.
Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kelli A.
Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short
stories, 20+ romance novels, 7 non-fiction books, and 5 horror ebooks. Her
romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her
horror stories.
Her latest
novel, In Another World, was released in January 2022. This contemporary
mystery/romance is set in the world of the paranormal.
She also
released two horror shorts, More Than I Bargained For and Silent Sentinel in
2021.
In 2021,
Kelli published Journaling Every Week: 52 Topics to Get You Writing. This fun
and innovative guide to journaling is filled with hundreds of thought-provoking
prompts designed to get you writing about your feelings and emotions.
Kelli
posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins
and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.
Visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and to find all her social media links.
Sounds really good. Thank you for sharing
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